Toy drinking kit



March 25, 1969 B. J. LOWE TOY DRINKING KIT Filed June 13, 1966 di l BETTY J. LOWE,

INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y United States Patent US. Cl. 141-18 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy which provides means independent of gravity for preparing a liquid drink and for drinking the drink, to simulate the gravity-free experience of space-travellers and thus stimulate a childs imagination.

This invention relates to toys; and concepts of the present invention provide a toy by which a child can simulate the experience of astronauts, that is, it provides a means independent of gravity for preparing a liquid drink and for drinking the drink.

The childs imagination can thereby be stimulated by this toy, for it provides that the child will go through specific steps, as an astronaut might do; yet the process is quite convenient, and can be readily learned by even a very young child.

Also, the concepts provide a toy which is quite simple in construction, and economical to produce and distribute.

The above description is quite introductory and general; the above and further concepts, and other details and features of the invention, will be further apparent in the following description of an illustrative embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying somewhat diagrammatic and schematic drawings, in which portions are shown in section and broken away for clarity of disclosure of the concepts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a water delivery means, in the form of what is commonly called a water pistol with special adaptation for this toy; and

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a foodstuif container and mixing chamber, which also serves as the vessel from which the child drinks.

As shown in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the invention is quite simple and unsophisticated from a mechanical aspect, the invention comprising two assemblies, one being a type of liquor dispenser commonly known as a water pistol 10 (FIG. 1) and the other being a bag or container 12 (FIG. 2); these components are referred to herein by these terms, and will likely be referred to as such by a child who uses the toy, but the components are specially adapted to co-operate and to thereby provide the overall result.

The water pistol 10 is of a type which has a handle 14, a central body portion 15, a barrel 16, a squeezable trigger 18, a water-dispenser bore 20 in the body and barrel 16, and a communicating water-passage bore 22 in the handle 14. It will be understood that suitable means (not shown) will be provided by which water can be forced outwardly of the barrel-bore by action of the trigger 18.

The barrel 16 is provided at its tip 24 with a hollow outlet nozzle 26 having a bore 27, the details and function of which are described hereinafter. The nozzle 26 is shown as press-fit into a forwardly-opening recess 28 of the gun barrel 16. If the child desires, he may fill the water pistol 10 through the nozzle 26, it being understood that the hydraulic mechanism (not fully shown) provides for such type of filling of the water pistol 10.

The rear portion 29 of the body portion 15 is provided with a bore 30 communicating with the bore 20, the bore 30 being removably capped by a cap 32 which is removably press-fitted into a rearwardly-opening recess 33 in the gun-body rear-portion 29; and if desired, the child may fill the water pistol 10 through the bore 30, suitably removing and replacing the cap 32 in the process.

FIG. 2 illustrates a bag or container 12, which is desirably formed of a transparent plastic material of pliable nature. The bag 12 shown is sealed at its bottom (right end in FIG. 2) by a sealing strip 34.

Within the bag 12, there is disposed a portion of foodstuff 36 which, when mixed with water, provides a liquid drink; thus it will be understood that the foodstuff 36 will be suitably flavored, colored, and sweetened to be attractive to the child. The portion of foodstuff 36 is shown as of a sufficient quantity to provide the desired liquid strength or taste when mixed with a substantially full bag of water in the bag 12.

The water-pistol nozzle 26 and the outlet 38 of the bag 12 co-operate to provide an effective water-tight and sealed method of transmitting water from the water pistol 10 to the bag 12, as is now to be described.

The water pistol nozzle 26 is shown as having its exterior wall sloped or contoured to provide that its diameter increases as measured axially inwardly from its remote or free end, as indicated by a slope 39. That IS, the diameter of the nozzle tip 40 is smaller than the diameter at the inner end 42 of the nozzle 10.

Slightly less in diameter, than the outside diameter of the inner end 42 of the water pistol nozzle 26, but slightly larger in diameter than the nozzle-tip 40 diameter, is the bore 44 of the bag outlet 38.

Further, it will be observed that the exterior Wall of the outer end of the bag outlet 38 is shown flared somewhat, as indicated by the flare 46. The exterior of the bag outlet 38 is threaded, as shown by threads 48; and a retainer nut 50 is threaded thereon. Thus, as the nut 50 is rotated to move it outwardly of the bag 12, it cams the flared outlet-end 46 radially inwardly, more tightly gripping the water pistol nozzle 26 inserted into the bag outlet bore 44, retaining water pistol 10 and the bag 12 in a securely-held manner. Slits 52, in the outer end portion of bag outlet 38, permit the outlet walls to be pushed inwardly, in this nozzle-gripping procedure.

Thus, in use, in the embodiment shown, it is seen that to prepare the drink, the child will insert the pistol nozzle 26 into the bag outlet-bore 44, then rotate the nut 50 to clamp the water pistol 10 and bag 12 in a secure manner by w h i c h liquidcomrnunicating interconnection is achieved. The child then squeezes the trigger 18, forcing Water under pressure from the storage chamber provided by the pistol-bores 20 and 22 into the interior or storage chamber of the container 12, where the foodstuff" powder 36 is disposed. The pliable nature of the container 12 provides that the storage chamber thereof is operatively expandable, providing that the volume and pressure of liquid entering thereinto will be accommodated without increasing the pressure in the container 12.

After Water is in the bag 12, the piston nozzle 26 is removed (the nut 50 having been loosened); and the child then can temporarily cap the container by folding over the top portion or the outlet 38 portion, the body of (or at least a portion of) the outlet 38 being likewise of pliable material permitting this nature of temporary capping. Then the child shakes or squeezes the bag 12 enough to dissolve and/ or mix the foodstuff powder 36 in the liquid.

Then the child unfolds the outlet 38 or container walls which have been used in this capping step; and the child may then drink from the container by sucking on the outlet 38 and/ or squeezing the Walls of the container 12, pretending that he is in a space-environment where the lack of gravity will not permit an ordinary drinking step.

A further and particular advantage of the embodiment disclosed is that the major components (water pistol and container 12) will likely seem quite familiar to the child, and thus he will learn the process readily and quickly; yet the co-operation and special adaptations for this particular use will provide interest, and the co-operating combination will hopefully stimulate the childs imagination.

It is seen that a toy according to the invention provides a device which is simple in construction, and easy in operation, yet which is quite interesting, useful, and imagination-stimulating in its operation as described above, for the particular purpose set forth.

Thus, the present invention accomplishes its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and and others that are inherent in the invention.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered limited to the specific form or arrangements herein described and shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A drink-preparation and drinking-vesselproviding toy, comprising, in combination,

a liquid-dispensing member, having an outlet, a storage chamber, and means communicating said storage chamber with said outlet, means for filling said chamber with liquid, and manually-operable means for pressure dispensing of liquid therefrom and out said outlet;

:1 container having a storage chamber and an outlet;

means providing a secure and liquid-communicating inter-connection between the said two outlets, providing, when the liquid-dispensing member and the container are operatively interconnected by said interconnection means, that liquid may be dispensed by manual manipulation from said liquid-dispensing member into the storage chamber of said container;

means relieving pressure in said container caused by the volume and pressure of liquid dispensed thereinto by said liquid-dispensing member;

the interconnection means being removable to provide that said liquid-dispensing member and said container may be readily disconnected, the container outlet then providing a means by which the user may then drink from the said container.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which said water-dispenser member is a manually operable water pistol provided with an outlet to co-operate with said container outlet as set forth in claim 1.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which said container is provided with pliable walls providing that said storage chamber of said container is operatively expandable, providing the said pressurerelieving means.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which said Water-dispenser member is a manually operable water pistol provided with an outlet to cooperate with said container outlet as set forth in claim 1; and said container is provided with pliable walls providing that said storage chamber of said container is operatively expandable, providing the said pressurerelieving means.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which said container outlet has walls, a portion of the exterior of which flare outwardly, and movable means are provided movably related to said outlet to provide that as said means are moved onto said flared portion the walls are cammed inwardly to securely grip said liquiddispensing member outlet when operatively disposed in said container outlet.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 5, in a combination in which said container-outlet exterior wall is threaded, and said movable means is threadedly engageable therewith, providing that rotation of said movable means causes it to move axially along said container outlet selectively toward or away from said flared portion.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which said container is provided with a portion of material operatively mixable with liquid dispensed thereinto by manually-elfected pressure from said liquiddispenser means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 553,751 1/1896 Gilmour 285-322 X 684,036 10/1901 Bates 141-10 1,200,118 10/ 1916 Keeler 285-322 X HOUSTON S. BELL, JR., Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

